


What Defines Us

by SanityFox, SyberHound



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Clusterfuck of characters, Decepticon!Jazz, M/M, Protect My Son, autobot/decepticon team ups yayyy, screamer is my fave thing ever, they all cats woops
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2018-12-06 07:28:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11595813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SanityFox/pseuds/SanityFox, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SyberHound/pseuds/SyberHound
Summary: Starscream awakes up on a strange planet where everything seems to want to kill him, not that strange but the creatures hunting him seem very good at it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> fist time posting a fic here so i hope everything is ok! ;o;

He’d only been here a few cycles and he already hated everything about wherever ‘here’ was. Everything he encountered out here was out to make his life pit at best and kill him at worst, and though that wasn't exactly uncommon for starscream, the creatures here where aggravatingly good at it! Not even a cycle in and he had been attacked by...something.

It was fast and far quieter than it had any right to be and it had clawed into his wing before he had even known it was there. The seeker had never seen anything like it before and hoped he never would again. It was a gross combination of greens of varying shades and, the spasticity fluttering bug like wings made the seeker's skin crawl. It was small however, and he’d manages to kill it with one solid blow. Unfortunately not before it managed to tear a chunk out of his wing.

The injury wasn't too deep and would heal on its own given time, the problem was for the muscles to heal properly he wouldn't be able to use them for much more then holding the wounded wing sheltered at his side. He was grounded and vulnerable.

And alone.

He’s always known seekers were social beings, flocks and trines were obvious proof of that, but he’d never imagined just how essential those social bonds actually were. Not until he woke up on this hostile unknown planet completely and utterly alone. Even the trine bond he had grown so painfully used to had gone silent. The only comfort he had was that the bond wasn't gone, just quiet, like they were too far away or in stasis...

Starscream shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. Thinking about them would only worsen the feeling and it was already seeming to cripple him as much has his wing. He wouldn't give in to such a pathetic and worthless emotion! He was no soft-spared autobot! He was the SIC of the entire decepticon army! Destined to overthrow Megatron and restore Cybertron to its former glory! He was better than that!

Starscream let out a low determined growl as he picked up his pace again. He was going to get off this Primus forsaken rock one way or another! He braved the far reaches of space, explored plenty of treacherous planets, and like pit was he going to be taken down now, by something like loneliness! 

 

Starscream hated this planet. It was an awful, disgusting, terrifying place and he hated everything about it. He just wanted to go home but he didn't know where home was. He didn't even know where here was. Was any of this even real? Did someone finally manage to off him and this was all some sort of sick joke Primus decided he deserved? Because his life wasn't miserable enough already?

Starscream's gave something between a groan and a whine as he gave in and allowed his legs to buckle beneath him. He hit the ground rather heavily, ignoring the dust that billowed up around him with the landing. He glared at the feathers of his crest as he blow them out of his face. They were drooping and he hated it. He hated all of it. He hated how his paws ached, and his stomach growled, and his wing burned from where the dust coated the wound. But most of all, he hated the overwhelming and painfully persistent feeling of utter loneliness.

He had no motivation to get back up, not just yet. He was tired and sore and with the sun still high in the sky there was little risk of him not waking before nightfall. Nights here were cold and the creatures more active and he’d be a sitting duck if he didn't find shelter before the stars showed. There was still the risk of something finding him during the day but Starscream found that he didn't really care anymore.

He just wanted to rest.

 

The sky was a painting of oranges and reds when Starscream was jolted from his sleep by the screaming. It was loud, and pained, and the second cry was cut short. The seeker remained very still, ears pricked and alert waiting for any signs that the creatures were coming his way. After a good few minutes of silence he started heading in the direction of the now silent screams. He needed to find them, whoever they were.

He wasn't going in hopes of finding them alive, oh no he was lonely not stupid. Whoever that had been was long dead and Starscream, as desperate as he may have been, wasn't delusional. No, he was going because the voice had sounded familiar. He couldn't place it, but he was sure he’d heard it before. If he’d heard it somewhere before that likely meant cybertronian, or at the very least sentient! and if there was one there could be more. More people sent here like him, and if he could find them before the creatures, they stood a better chance of making it out alive.

And he wouldn't be alone anymore.

 

Starscream didn't realize he’d let himself get excited, hopeful even, until it was replaced with the unbridled horror of finding out just what the things here had to be capable of to take down this cat. It seemed hiding wouldn't work on at least one of the creatures on this planet. He didn't know which one, maybe one he’d not encountered yet, but for them to find and kill this cat meant that trying to hide was useless.

The seeker had only ever seen Mirage a few times before but the blue cat had been responsible for many failed missions for the decepticon cause. Most of which Megatron had blamed him for but that's not the point. The point was that when the spy was in hostile territory he was almost always invisible, and yet here he was with more wounds on his sleek frame then Starscream could count.

It made him feel sick.

The seeker shook himself, trying and only partially succeeding in dispersing the rising panic. He needed to find shelter for the night, and though he doubted he’d be able to sleep with what he now knew, he would freeze if he stayed in the open when the sun went down. The winds had already adopted a biting chill and he shivered. He pulled his wings closer to him protectively, ignoring the painful twinges of protest from his wounded one.

He turned to continue on in the direction he’d been traveling before only to have something small and snarling leap on him back. He cursed himself for not paying attention as the little creature tried to sink its claws into his back. Starscream returned the snarl managing to dislodge the creature and fling it away from him. It yelped when it impacted with a nearby tree and Starscream, who had been about to charge it to finish the job, reared back in surprise.

The tiny cat had slid down the tree and was now sitting at its base rubbing at the back of his head. Starscream was just staring at him, mouth hanging open until he finally managed to squeeze out a single word.

“Rumble!?”


	2. Chapter 2

The small cat’s head shot up at the sound of his name, eyes brighter than the seeker had ever seen them before. Starscream stood frozen, mouth agape, staring are the other. He wasn't completely convinced this was real but if his mind had finally fractured he couldn't imagine why it would have conjured the image of the cassette instead of his trine...maybe he hated himself more than he thought..

“Primus, Screamer! I thought you were one of those things prowling around here!” Starscream ignored the nickname, focusing instead on what the tiny cat had said. He raised an eyebrow and gave a small huff as he neared the downed cassette.

“And what, exactly, was your plan for after you pounced on its back?” His voice took a harsher tone than he had intended but the thought of the tiny cat in the same gruesome state as the autobot made him feel sick, even if he wasn't particularly fond of the bobcat. Rumble’s face went blank at the question, as though it hadn't occurred to him that there would be need of an 'after’.

“Uh, well I didn't think that far...but I'm sure ida figured something out!” Rumble gave a brief nod and glared at the seeker, as though daring him to disagree. The seeker stared at him dumbfounded.

“How are you even still alive?”

“What's that supposed to mean?!” The seeker said nothing but the unconvinced, irritated expression on his face must have gotten his thoughts across loud and clear. The tiny cat’s shoulders slumped as he huffed and looked away. Starscream didn't miss the small pout that accompanied the action.

“I only woke up here a few hours ago. I wandered around a little while but ran into one of the autodorks pretty quick. Been traveling with him til maybe 20 minutes ago? He said he couldn't disappear anymore after that ferret-looking thing bit him but that was probably a lie. He didn't like traveling with me anymore then I did him.”

Starscream was suddenly glad for the brief tussle he and the cassette had had. It had placed him in between the tiny cat and what was left of his traveling companion. Weather or not the cassette enjoyed the bots company was irrelevant. No one Rumble’s age needed to see that. Starscream didn't even want to see it. The rest of what the other had said sunk in and the seeker jerked to attention.

“Wait, a few hours? You’ve only been here a few hours?” The cassette nodded but didn't seem surprised by the question or the demanding way Starscream has asked it.

“Yeah, Mirage was surprised too, said he’d been here nearly a day and a half when he found me. How long you been here?” Starscream swallowed. They hadn't all been transported here at the same time. Did that mean there were still cats back on earth? Was his trine still on earth? Were they worried about him? He’d rather they be worried then here...mostly.

“I,uh nearly 4 days I think. I stopped keeping track the first time I was attacked. Didn’t seem relevant anymore. More focused on getting to the next day, rather than keeping track of them.” Rumble frowned, a glimmer of fear showing in his eyes for the first time since he’d slammed into the tree.

“Are the things here really that bad?” Starscream looked at the small cat, really looked at him. It had been a long time since any of the cons had seen the cassettes as kits, but in that moment the bobtail was really showing his age.

“You're lucky you’ve been with someone for the most part, Rumble. You’d be dead otherwise.” He felt a little bad as he watched the kit swallow hard as his eyes widened to nearly twice their normal size, but he’d rather he be scared then reckless. He was less likely to pounce on the next thing he met if he knew it could swallow him whole without a second thought. That was if it decided it didn't want to play with him first.

Starscream shook his head, ridding himself of the images that had flooded it at the thought. There wasn't time for this friendly chitchat. They had to get out of the open before nightfall or they wouldn't make it to daybreak. He closed the gap between him and the tiny bobcat taking care to stay between him and the gore behind him. Rumble snapped out of his trance and looked up at the seeker in surprise, as though he hadn't noticed the other move.

“Come on, we have to find shelter soon. It gets worse when the sun goes down and we’re to exposed out here.”

“ I..I know a place. Mirage and I passed it maybe a half hour ago. It's a little cave we thought about tracking back too if we couldn't find anything better. It went back pretty far, but the light didn't reach in all the way and mirage didn't want to go in. One of his paws was in bad shape and I think the rougher stone in the cave hurt him.”

Starscream’s wings fluttered in protest to the thought of sleeping in a cave but his paws pushed him forward excitedly. He nudged Rumble back the way he’d come with instructions to lead the way and quickly. They had maybe an hour of daylight left and he still needed to sout the cave out to make sure they were the only ones taking shelter in it, and still have enough time to find new accommodations if they weren't.

 

Rumble had been right, it had taken them just over a half hour to get to the mentioned cave, and starscream was grateful they got there without any interruptions. He wasn't keen on fighting one of those things on an empty stomach, with no sleep, while protecting Rumble. He had enough trouble with them at his best, right now he was easy dinner with a tasty little bobtail dessert tagging along.

They both hurried into the cave and Starscream reluctantly went as deep as the cave would allow. He picked up no fresh scents and once he had deemed it safe, well as safe as it could get, he returned to the mouth and sent rumble farther inside. He settled himself just inside, where he was sheltered well enough but could still see glimpses of the sky through the entrance. Not exactly ideal but it was better than the claustrophobia and a sleepless night.

 

“You look awful.”

“Thanks.” Starscream growled in response. Staying close to the cave entrance may has staved off the claustrophobia but it did nothing for the paranoia. Every little sound had him jolting to his paws, eyes wide and heart racing. He’d even nearly strangled Rumble for sneezing sometime in the night. He shook his head and started out of the cave again. He had let the kit sleep him longer then he would have liked but he knew the cassette would need it and he didn't think he could fight the urge to strangle him again if he started complaining. The problem was, now the sun was high enough in the sky to make it really fragging hot. To hot for much hunting. He hoped they would find some of those roots he came across the first day he was here as they walked, otherwise they would likely go without eating till the next morning, and he was already running on empty.

That is if they made it till morning.

**Author's Note:**

> Any and all feedback is welcome and appreciated! ^^


End file.
